2021 Mecklenburg County Tornado
The 2021 Mecklenburg Tornado was a rare, highly destructive, and deadly tornado which tore through the cities of Charlotte, North Carolina, and Mint Hill, which was most devastated. Overview The Mecklenburg Tornado was an EF-4 tornado that lasted for about 45 minutes after it’s touchdown. According to the National Weather Service, the tornado had winds of 145 Mph during it’s peak. Since the tornado passed through a major population and recreation center, extensive damage was caused for both cities. Mint Hill, a town with about 30,000 citizens, is a town which almost never gets tornadoes. This factor, as well as low funding for emergency shelters, caused the town to be unprepared for such an event. The tornado caused 149 fatalities, as well as up to $345 billion (2021 USD) in damages according to some sources. Meteorological History On 4:31 PM, July 2nd, NOAA gave areas in the southern Piedmont areas of North Carolina, as well as parts of northern South Carolina a high chance of severe weather for the next day. On that same day, The Weather Channel gave these same areas a 60-70% chance of seeing a tornado within 50 miles. Later that day, the National Weather Service in Greenville-Spartanburg South Carolina had issued a tornado watch for Mecklenburg County, Gaston County, Union County, and Cabarrus County in NC, as well as York and Lancaster counties in SC. The next day, a group of weak supercells began forming in western Tennessee at around 1:30 PM EDT. These cells caused some minor-moderate severe weather in parts of Tennessee and Missisippi, and two tornadoes had formed in Georgia about an hour before the tornado had hit. At 3:49 PM EDT, the NWS issued a severe thunderstorm warning for parts of Spartanburg County in SC. This one storm continued to move ENE at a speed of about 43 Mph. At 4:14 PM, a tornado warning has been issued for the southern most parts of Mecklenburg County, and the northwestern most parts of York County. At 4:19, a tornado touchdown had been confirmed by a trained spotter right on the NC/SC border. After entering Charlotte’s city limits, the tornado had already destroyed many mobile homes and had started to intensify. At this point, the tornado warning had expanded to include: Uptown Charlotte, Pineville, Matthews, Mint Hill, and Wildwoods, and unincorporated area in between Charlotte and Mint Hill. As the tornado continued to intensify, it also started to widen. When the tornado reached Ballyntine, the tornado was about 2x as large as it was when it first touched down. At 4:23 PM, the tornado had entered the town limits of Mint Hill, where most of the damage started. The same spotter, who had chased the tornado to this point, had confirmed a full-fledged wedge tornado within Mint Hill. The tornado hit the residential areas to the north of downtown Mint Hill, which is why the tornado had caused so many deaths compared to damage. After leaving the limits of Mint Hill, the tornado started to weaken. By the time the tornado had left the county, the rural areas of Midland were affected by the tornado. Due to the low population and density, not much, other than some crops, was affected. By 4:32 PM, the tornado has finally dissipated, and the warnings had lifted. The storm continued to move and produced some heavy wind gusts of up to 55 Mph in Albemarle, but no damages were officially reported. Aftermath Many people lost property due to the tornado. Approximately 6,500-12,000 building were destroyed or damaged. Many recreational and educational areas were heavily affected due to the storm. The tornado passed right over Rocky River High School at the tornado’s strongest point, leaving the property with only the foundation and some interior walls. Independence Day Impacts The storm struck on July 3rd, the day before Independence Day. Many festivals and firework shows were either cancelled or postponed until a different time. One show, located in Matthews, dedicated their show to the recovery and aid to those affected by the tornado. Nationwide Support and Aid The day after the tornado struck, FEMA, Red Cross, and other organizations, as well as the American Military sent people to help the wounded and aid in property damage. Many families from around the nation came to the area to make sure that their loved ones were okay, as well as to help rebuild. Many shelters provided food, water, air conditioning, and a place to sleep for those affected. Damage to Important Infrastructure Houses, parks, and businesses were all affected. However, many roads and highways were also affected. Interstate 485, or I-485, was heavily damaged in multiple areas. NC Route 51 was almost completely destroyed, having the tornado almost go down the entirety of the highway. The Mint Hill Town Hall was slightly damaged after a small tree flew into the building during the tornado’s closest approach to the Hall. The building was closed for about 2 days, but was reopened afterwards. Cities Affected and Their Death Tolls Rating Disputes While most researchers agreed with the EF4 rating, a couple of researchers said that the damage could've been bad enough to be an EF5. A strong, study brick house was wiped off of it's foundation after the tornado passed over it at it's peak intensity, which led some researchers to think the damage would EF5, and not EF4. An overpass on I-485 collapsed completely after the tornado passed over it as well. Multiple parts of I-485 were closed due to damage to overpasses, fallen trees, and even damage to the road itself. A few researchers also thought the damage could've been EF3, mostly because they saw some wooden houses destroyed, as well as a couple of brick and concrete structures slightly/moderately damaged. Some researchers also thought the damage could've been from straight-line winds. Impacts In Charlotte Many buildings in southern Charlotte were at least slightly damaged due to the tornado. Category:Destructive tornadoes Category:Deadly tornadoes Category:Events in the 2020s